Of course they were all eager to do so. So he said, "There was a lady in
my store to-day, whose husband had promised to make her a Christmas
present of a rocking-chair. After she had selected a very nice one, she
turned to her husband, and said, 'If you will give each of our children
a chair, I will forego the pleasure of having mine.' Now, wasn't she
truly kind?"

The children were much interested in the story; and both exclaimed,
"Yes, sir!" Then he added, "I liked the lady very much."

Here, little Alice, growing slightly jealous, exclaimed, "Did you like
her better than you do mamma?"

"Oh, no! not _better_, but _full as well_," answered her father.

After supper, the chairs were brought in, much to the surprise and
delight of Jennie and Alice, who both joyfully exclaimed, "O papa! you
meant us!"

D.

[Illustration]

THE PROPER TIME.

"Will you play with me? Will you play with me?"
A little girl said to the birds on a tree.
"Oh, we have our nests to build," said they:
"There's a time for work, and a time for play."

Then, meeting a dog, she cried, "Halloo!
Come play with me, Jip, and do as I do."
Said he, "I must watch the orchard to-day:
There's a time for work, and a time for play."

A boy she saw; and to him she cried,
"Come, play with me, John, by the greenwood side."
"Oh, no!" said John, "I've my lesson to say:
There's a time for work, and a time for play."

Then thoughtful a while stood the little miss,
And said, "It is hard, on a day like this,
To go to work; but, from what they all say,
'Tis a time for work, and not for play."

So homeward she went, and took her book,
And first at the pictures began to look;
Then said, "I think I will study to-day:
There's a time for work, and a time for play."

EMILY CARTER.

OUR DOG MILO.

Milo was the name of a fine Spanish pointer. He had such an expressive
face, such delicate ears, and such wise eyes, that you could not help
looking at him.

And then he could stand up so cleverly on his hind-legs, dressed in his
little red coat and cap! An old beggar-woman, whose eyesight was not
very good, once took him for a boy, and thanked the "little man," as she
called him, for a present which we boys had trained him to go through
the form of offering.

He had belonged to a travelling company of jugglers and rope-dancers, by
whom he had been taught variou